


Refreshing Reality

by Freedom_Shamrock



Series: A Little Light [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, First Date, First Hug, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 11:18:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11713308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freedom_Shamrock/pseuds/Freedom_Shamrock
Summary: In this universe, Marinette and Adrien's first date goes perfectly.





	Refreshing Reality

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to Subtitled Subtext, but can stand on its own. It is also for the Miraculous Fluff month's Aug 5 prompt, firsts.

"Hi," Marinette said as her feet hit the bottom step.  She hadn't felt this shy and giddy around Adrien in a year and a half.

"You look amazing," he said, holding out one hand and smiling bashfully.

"Says the actual model," Marinette teased with a giggle.  She slipped her hand into his.  "I should warn you…"

"Picture time!" Alya called, rushing down the steps behind Marinette.

"...about Alya."  Marinette rolled her eyes.  "She helped me get ready," she whispered.

"You needed help?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"Eh, it's a girl thing," Alya said, holding  up the camera she now carried everywhere.  "Bestie prerogative."

Adrien grinned.  "Not just a girl thing.  Nino helped me."

"Gimmie some smiles!" Alya pointed the camera at them.

That was easy.  Marinette realized Adrien was as blushy and happy as she was.  It was nice.

"Scootch a little closer," Alya requested, and Adrien, so accustomed to following photographers' orders, readily complied.  "Perfect!"  She let the camera hang round her neck.  "Now go forth and have a fantastic date."

"We will, thank you," Marinette said, grateful to her best friend for her calming influence the last two hours.

"Be safe!"  Alya had a wicked gleam in her eye.

Adrien shot Marinette a wink.  "Yes mom.  We'll stay out of the way of akumas and look both ways before crossing the street."

Alya stuck out her tongue.  "You know that's not what I meant, Adrien."

"Oh?"  He had the sweet and innocent look down.  "Were you implying other kinds of safety?"  He fluttered his eyelashes at her.  "I'm afraid I don't know what you could possibly be alluding to."

Alya's mock scowl turned to a sinister grin.  "Don't knock up my bestie, Agreste."

"Alya!" Marinette squeaked, scandalized and heartily embarrassed.

"Oh goodness," Adrien gasped, holding a hand to his chest.  "So crass, Cesaire!"

"And on that note," Marinette said brightly, "we're leaving."  She tugged Adrien out the door.  "My parents are wrapping up the end of day."

"Should we stop in?" he asked.

"Probably," Marinette said, meekly.  "But it should be an easy walk through.  Alya was the tough one."

* * *

Conversation was easy and relaxed as they strolled along the river.  They'd been talking just like they usually did, sharing movie ideas and video game secrets they hadn't already shared.

Adrien slowed his pace to a stop, and she followed suit.  He smiled down at her, his cheeks that beautiful pink kissed color again.  "Thanks for going out with me, Mari."

"Thanks for asking," she replied, beaming up at him.  Should she kiss him?  She really wanted to, but it looked like he had more to say.

"I've been wanted to ask you out for months," he admitted.  "I think Nino was getting a bit frustrated with me, honestly."

"Really?"

He took a small step so they were facing each other.  "Is it really that much of a surprise that I like you like this?"

Oh god, she was blushing again, and it wasn't the sweet light version.  She probably rivaled her super suit.  "I'm not great at gauging  **your** interest in me.  I'm… maybe a little biased."

"Really?"  He looked puzzled.  "How so?"

Shrugging, she figured she may as well come clean.  He'd been the first to speak up; it was her turn to take a risk.  "I've kind of had a crush on you forever."

He let out a little laugh.  "I thought you hated me at first, you know."

"I sort of did," she admitted.  "But… when you gave me your umbrella, when you opened up and let me see who you were even though I'd misjudged you and been an outright bitch to you, it was… a lightning strike."

"Oh."  It came out as a reverent whisper.  His next words followed in a rush.  "Can I hug you Mari?  I really want to hug you."

She nodded as she let go of his hand to settle her palms to his shoulders.  He bent to close the distance, holding her close as he straightened up and lifted her feet off the sidewalk.  He pressed his cheek to hers for a moment before setting her gently on her feet.  It probably hadn't been a long hug, but it felt like a perfect forever.

"I got a little crazy about my crush on you at first," she explained.

He nodded.  "Is that why you used to stammer and say strange things sometimes?"

"Sometimes?"  She shook her head, giggling.  "I was a disaster, Adrien."

"A beautiful disaster," he corrected, seemingly much more at ease with this new information between them.

She put one hand on her hot cheek.  "Stop that, you."

"Don't wanna."  He lifted one hand from her waist to peel hers from her cheek.  "You're so pretty.  I like it when you blush for me.  It makes this seem real."

"It's real," she promised.  Sighing, she realized she needed to tell him all the big details.  "I'm afraid I got a bit obsessed with you."  She cringed at her own words.  "But then that fan of yours got akumatized, and I realized… I'd gotten overboard, and I'd stopped seeing you as that sweet boy who loaned me his umbrella.  I'd made you into this… huge and unattainable thing."  She shrugged.  "It really opened my eyes, and I saw that what you needed most was friends, not another fawning fangirl.  So I decided to step back, and I was determined to never do that to you again."

His smile was so happy, and so very much not something he used in modeling.  If she ever made it big as a designer, she was going to hire happy models, dammit.  None of that brooding serious stuff.  She briefly remembered Gabriel's leather jacket campaign, heavily featuring Adrien,  and corrected herself.  Judicious use of sultry expressions would be allowed.

"Is that why you never seemed to notice I was flirting with you?" he asked.

She stared at him, horrified.  "You… that was real?"

"Yeah.  I thought I was just terrible at it, but Nino said you'd eventually come around."

She shook her head.  "I spent months seeing things that weren't there, I didn't want to repeat that mistake."

His fingers gently brushed her cheek.  "So instead, you didn't see what  **was** there."

"Is it all right if I kiss you?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"I was afraid you'd never ask," he replied, bending closer.

With her hands back on his shoulders for balance, she popped up on her toes and gently pressed her lips to his.  They were warm and soft, and while she would have liked to kiss him more thoroughly, right now, this was perfect.

When her heels were back on the ground, his eyes fluttered open, and he beamed at her.  "Do you want to do this again?  Go out with me, I mean?"

"Very much, yes," she replied with a smile.

"Are we… um… what are we?" he asked.

"People?" she said, uncertain what he meant.

He let out a little laugh.  "Well, yeah, but… I'd really like you to be my girlfriend, Mari.  And… I want to be your boyfriend.  What do I need to do to make that happen?"

She gasped in delighted surprise.  "Oh… um.  I guess you're my boyfriend, then."

He pulled her into another hug.  "You should know that I'm going to give you sweet nicknames and buy you obnoxious presents, now."

She laughed and kissed his cheek.  "And that's different how?"

"Good point," he said, releasing her and taking her hand again.  "Now there will be hugs and cuddles and kisses to go with the nicknames and gifts."

"That's not exactly a deterrent," she pointed out.  "I'm all for those additions to our dynamic."

He looked a little nervous all of a sudden.  "We're going to have to have dinner with my father."  It was almost as if he'd just realized it.  "It's going to be formal and stuffy and uncomfortable."

"We'll live," she promised.  "My parents will be inviting you over more often too."

"I love your parents," he murmured.

"They'll tease us," she cautioned.

He grinned.  "That's different how?"

**Author's Note:**

> This one got delayed by an unexpected car problem in north central Wisconsin, so I'm a little behind and wasn't able to include a few firsts I wanted to. I hinted at some of them, and may come back to them if they work into another prompt down the road.


End file.
